Menu

High Five: Great Music Finds (Sept 2007)

I thought in this installment of High Five, I would offer up a tribute to my 10 +3 Desert Island discs.

For my Buggles, Yes and Asia desert island selections, there are several links between these bands and I’m curious to see if anyone knows who these groups have in common. Here’s a rare, well lip-synced performance of the song aired on MTV at midnight on August 1, 1981. All I have to say about this channel is “I want my Old MTV”.

For my Toto desert disc tribute, I really love the strings and choir on this live performance of “Hold The Line”. Man, I’d love to hear Joseph Williams on vocals and Lukather is such an underrated guitarist. If you like early Toto, check out the old albums of Boz Skaggs (remember “Lido Shuffle”?) since Toto was his studio band.

Last but not least, the world’s finest Glam Rock band, The Sweet, on “Wig Wam Bam”. As I write this, I’m listening to this song and chuckling because this was one of the first albums I bought with my paper route money (along with Van Halen and Barry Manilow) and I can’t believe I didn’t realize what this song is about! The other funny thing I just realized is there is a lyric in this song about an Indian guy names Running Bear and about 10 years ago, I actually worked with a guy named Running Bear (really!). Oh well, as they say, just try a little wig wam bam….

One comment on “High Five: Great Music Finds (Sept 2007)”

Do you remember in about 1981 or so, how the coffee industry used ELO’s “Hold On Tight” to promote the theme of “coffee achiever”? The TV commercials featured a montage of images including, I think, the Bengals QB (must have been Ken Anderson).

That’s one of the first instances that I can remember (although I’m sure not THE first) of an industry trade association using TV to promote itself. Followed very closely, of course, by “the incredible, edible egg” and “cheese, glorious cheese.” All paved the way for the testosterone-soaked “Beef” ads of the later 80s, but none came close to the symphonic perfection of Jeff Lynne.